To Become a Taranyou
by BlueBastard
Summary: Tsu'tey refuses to teach the taw'tute. The skyperson who had wriggled his way into their clan. But Jake is a fast learner. And as hard headed as the Na'vi warrior himself. Slash Tsu'tey/Jake


Tsu'tey was furious. This Dreamwalker… this- this nobody had showed up among them less than three months ago, and now he was ready to be bestowed with the honor of becoming a taranyou? A hunter?

"I refuse. I will not train JakeSully." Tsu'tey said adamantly, "I have two students already. Two that I, myself, have handpicked and trained with for almost a year now. I cannot waste my time with that skxawng."

"The way I see it," Neytiri said, crossing her arms before her, "is you can either agree to train him now, or wait for me to tell father. Then HE will command you to do it."

Tsu'tey's lip twitched as he imagined the scenario. Turning away with a hiss, he paced back to her as he warned, "You are playing with fire, Neytiri. Perhaps you are next in line to be Tsahik, but even Mo'at does not willingly fly towards the shade of a Turok. What will you do if your precious JakeSully were to die in this?"

"He is not a child, Tsu-"

"Then why is he not man enough to come ask me himself!" Tsu'tey demanded, interrupting her midsentence.

Both were surprised, however, when a third voice joined their argument, the owner appearing through the low-hanging vegetation that surrounded the branch-entwined hollow, "Because I was not aware Neytiri would be doing it for me."

Silence bounded between them as Tsu'tey measured the other Na'vi up. The familiar sneer and irritated flick of tail surfaced in an instant. Jake's brow creased in reaction. He didn't know what he had done, but Tsu'tey had shown his clear disregard for him since day one.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" Neytiri asked, surprise still spotting her features.

"Look, Neytiri, I appreciate the gesture, but I can handle this." Jake said with a soft smile, though his eyes retained the seriousness of the situation.

Neytiri's doe-like eyes took in the scowl on Tsu'tey's face and the matched determination on Jake's. Sighing, she merely smiled in understanding as she replied, "Of course, Jake."

The moment she left, the vines swinging slowly from her graceful exit, Jake turned to Tsu'tey. The other was on his guard immediately, distrustful and fierce eyes regarding Jake as though he were a thorn under his foot.

Jake sighed, "You won't train me, will you?"

"To what end? A rock sees more than you, Jakesully. Blame it on your Dreamwalker heritage." Tsu'tey replied smoothly, crossing his arms over his chest. What little moonlight that filtered through the leaves glanced off the rings of his neck band, a flash of his sneer showing momentarily as well.

A flare of anger burst through at the insult. Jake's frown deepened. But instead of getting baited, he took a deep breath and asked mockingly instead, "What are you afraid of, Tsu'tey? That I'll show you up? Student surpassing the teacher?"

Tsu'tey's sneer faltered, and his ears flattened in anger as he growled, "You think you are ready, Jakesully, but you are wrong. You can not even fathom the years of training and of honing the skills necessary for this endeavor."

Jake stepped up, fists clenching, "I can pass any test a man can pass. This is no exception."

Tsu'tey scrutinized the Na'vi hybrid a little closer, hearing as well as seeing the strength of will the man carried with him. This Sky Person was more courageous than any he had ever encountered before. And more foolish.

"You ask for a death warrant." Tsu'tey warned.

Jake smiled, "Then what's stopping you from agreeing?"

-o-o-o-

"I have but one rule: keep up. You fall behind, you find your own way back to Hometree." Tsu'tey's voice rang loud and clear from their great height, the sound echoing off the cliffs around them.

The threat was very tangible, seeing as how it took a whole week's-worth of hard riding just to reach this point.

Frustratingly enough, the one person the warning was aimed towards was busy ignoring him. Tsu'tey felt his jaw clench uncontrollably.

His two students, sensing his anger, kept quiet. But they couldn't keep their eyes from trailing towards the pinpoint of their teacher's irritation.

Jake was busy enjoying the sights. The floating rocks that made up the Hallelujah Mountains were something he had a feeling he would never be used to seeing. Sliding off the side of the direhorse, Jake rubbed his sore rump in apology. If he didn't get an Ikran in this test run, he would walk all the way home before riding another of the six legged beasts.

Noticing three pairs of eyes on him, one more heated than the rest, Jake grinned towards his traveling companions.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" He said cheerily, giving himself a mental high five as he saw Tsu'tey scowl.

The two trainees looked at each other nervously then went on ignoring Jake. It seemed the best thing to do. Even when they had been traveling earlier, avoiding Jake also took them out of the range of fire for their teacher's wrath.

When the other older male Na'vi didn't comment, only glowered then looked away, Jake continued his sight seeing.

He walked the short distance to the ledge, fearlessly looking over. A pebble, kicked loose, dropped the long distance to the tree tops far below.

"You know," He commented aloud, mostly to himself, "this is probably the highest I've ever-"

The wind picked up, rebounding off the cliff walls. The direhorses nickered in slight panic, planting their hooves into the ground, pushing as close to the safety of the walls as possible.

Jake did not have that luxury.

He lost his precarious balance immediately, realizing there was a reason they had ridden six-legged beasts all the way up this trail. Bitter disappointment and fear shot through him as he realized he just wasted the arduous three months of learning to be Na'vi, just to have a shot at Tsu'tey. Hell, he just about wasted his whole life.

All this went through his mind as his arms wind-milled, trying to grab a hold of something that wasn't there. His tail attempted to correct his balance a split second too late. He pitched over the edge.

Suddenly a strong hand shot out to grab his upper arm, the grip so hard it was bruising. A second hand snagged the waistband of his loin cloth. With a strangled half-breath, Jake's body went through vertigo when his fall downwards was yanked with him as he was thrown sideways.

As much as it hurt as he was slammed into the side of the cliff wall, feet safely on the ledge, it was a welcome pain. There was no way in hell that Jake would've survived that fall. The tops of the trees had to be miles below them. And that was just the top. You could snap your neck or spine before the branches could begin to slow you down. He didn't care how tough Na'vi bones were. No one fell that far and lived to tell the tale.

Dumbfounded, Jake just stood there and stared at his scowling savior. Tsu'tey's heated gaze could make hot coals turn over and die. What confused the hybrid the most, was the flicker of… something, across the other warrior's face before the glaring resumed.

"The next time you decide to stumble around like a skxawng while under my training, I will throw you over the edge myself…" The level of ferocity in Tsu'tey's tone bordered on unreasonable.

Hell it was almost as if…

Jake looked, puzzled, into the warrior's eyes.

…the other cared… or something.

But no, Jake shook his head mentally, he was probably overanalyzing things.

Falling back on his reliable wit, Jake grinned cheekily, "Aw, see, I knew you would have missed me."

The fraction of shock that travelled across Tsu'tey's features, a rare look indeed, was worth the inevitable pain as Jake was slammed against the wall again and dropped. It was obvious the warrior was sorely rethinking having saved Jake's life. With a vicious flick of his tail, and downward turned ears, Tsu'tey stalked off silently, scowling at anything in his path.

Wisely, the two younger trainees skirted out of his way.

They risked a glance at the hybrid, before following their angered teacher. Over the years Tsu'tey had always been calm, centered, and focused. When he got mad, if anyone ever put him past that point, it had always been controlled. He was the focal point of the perfect warrior, hunter and tribesman. It was almost hard to believe that the antics of the newcomer could rouse such uncontrolled anger from the future Olo'eyktan of their tribe.

Behind them all, Jake kicked a pebble over the edge.

Why did he say such stupid things?

-o-o-o-

Tsu'tey pushed them. Hard.

At the front of the line, he kept a demanding pace, not looking back once to see if they followed. If they could not, they did not deserve to be there.

It was as simple as that.

Then again, if it happened to be Jake that was gone… well…

Tsu'tey grinned. He wouldn't mind that turnout at all.

Behind him, Jake was more than up to the challenge. He mimicked the quick movements that the seasoned warrior before him made. Grabbing a jutting out root here, or stepping precariously on a crevice there. Whenever it was impossible to see what haphazard path the warrior took, Jake just improvised.

His muscles screamed and his throbbing feet ached, but it was worth it when Tsu'tey finally did risk a glance back. It had been only for a fleeting moment, but the fraction his cat-like gaze widened did not go unnoticed by the ex-marine. Jake smirked as he heaved out another short breath. Tsu'tey merely scowled, then pushed them on all that much harder.

It was worth it.


End file.
